In wireless communications networks one can use repeater stations (RS) to, e.g., enhance the rank of Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) channels and/or to cover areas that are difficult to cover with a single base station (BS). For example, a building might be obstructing the signal path in such way that some areas have limited signal coverage. A repeater station can then successfully be used to extend the signal to cover such shaded areas.
Since focusing the transmitted base station signal in favourable directions, so-called beamforming or beamsteering, is known to enhance the received signal strength for some users and at the same time limit the interference to other users, it is desirable to enable repeater stations to also perform beamforming. However, since the base station is the advanced entity that has channel information and a simple repeater station such as an amplify and forward (AF) repeater has limited functionality it has been thought advantageous to let the base station remotely control the repeater station signalling.